Refrigerator car construction



Patented Oct. 3, 1939 PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATOR CAR CONSTRUCTION John S. Lundvall, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Union Asbestos & Rubber Company, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation ol' Illinois Application October 2, 1936, Serial No. 103,735

4 Claims.

'I'he present invention relates to refrigerator car construction, and is particularly concerned with an improved wall construction for steel refrigerator cars.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an improved mode of attachment of the car insulation and nailing strips to the walls of steel refrigerator cars by means of which the weight of the car may be reducedand a greater insulating eiiciency achieved at a lower cost.

Another object is the provision of an improved construction including an insulated squeeze strip which is also adapted to be used as a nailing strip and which is used to attach the insulation to the wall cf a steel car.

Another object is the provision of an improved construction including a squeeze strip bearing washer which is adapted to house the nut and end of the securing bolts and which is adapted to prevent splitting of the squeeze strip or nailing strip and to secure the wooden strip in such manner that it is adapted to be used both as a nailing strip and for securing the insulation in place.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be. apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the single sheet of drawings accompanying this specification,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, horizontal sectional view, taken through a'portion of the wall of a refrigerator car constructed according to the present invention, the section being taken in a plane at right angles to the vertical wall;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the bearing washer and nailing strip of Fig. l, taken from the bottom of Fig. 1, with the sheathing removed;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the bearing washer employed in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modification in which the securing bolts are mounted upon a different form of structural steel member, and in which a different form of insulation i's employed.

Referring to Fig. 1, I 0 indicates in its entirety the refrigerator car wall, which may comprise a plurality of sheets of steel II, I2, which form the external covering for the car wall. These sheets may be suitably joined together by rivets I3 or by welding, any of the modern forms of which may be employed.

The rivets I3 may also be used to secure in place one of the parallel flanges I4 of a Z bar I5,

(Cl. 10S-423) which has its other parallel flange I6 spaced from the steel sheets II, I2. Z bars I5 preferably extend from the bottom to the top of the car,and are located at regularly spaced intervals, with suicient proximity between them to provide 6 suitable support for the insulation and for nailing strips used to support the sheathing or wood lining I1.

The flanges I6 of the Z bars may be provided with apertures I8 for receiving the shanks I9 of screw bolts. The screw bolts preferably have their heads 20 engaging the outer surface of the flanges I6 and the heads 20 are preferably welded in place, as, for example, by the welds 2| at the edge of the head. Thus the Z bars I5 are each provided with a. plurality of spaced, inwardly pro jecting and flxedly secured threaded members I9 for supporting insulation and nailing strips.

The insulation may consist of various suitable forms, such as the stiff insulation board 22 and/or the flexible bats 23 of sheet insulation, such as felt made of suitable vegetable, animal, or mineral fibers, preferably the former, on account of economy.

The bolts I9 project through the apertures 24 in the layers of insulation, and are adapted to project through the bores 25, suitably located in the squeeze strip 26.

The squeeze strip 26 may consist of a wooden strip of suitable size to be used for a nailing strip and substantially rectangular in cross section, except that the two inner corners 2l have been rounded off to conform to the shape of the clamped layers of insulation.

The bearing washers 28 are preferably used on each of the bolts- I9 for distributing the pressure over the area of the strip 26, preventing splitting of the strip, and for housing the nut 29. A bearing washer is shown in perspective in Fig. 3. It comprises a stamped sheet metal member provided with a flat body portion 30, which may be substantially rectangular in plan.

The body portion 30 is provided at a centrally located point with the aperture 3| for passing the bolt I9, and with a substantially cylindrical cupshaped stamped formation 32 arranged concentrically with respect to the aperture 3I and of suflicient depth to receive the nut 29 and the end of the bolt I9; that is, when the insulation layers 22, 23 are sufiiciently compressed to secure them in place, the bolt I9 does not project beyond the outer face of the body 30 of the bearing washer 28. The cup-shaped formation 32 is also of suflicient diameter so that the nut 29 may turn within the depression of the cup.

I'he body portion 3l is preferably provided with a pair of coniining flanges Il, 3l, one located on each side of the strip 2t and closely engagingthe sides Il of the strip 2l.

'Ihe front face 3l of the strip 2t is provided with a plurality of enlarged bores or .counterbores :oncentrically located with respect to the bores II for receiving the stamped formations 32 of the bearing washers 2l. l

In some embodiments of the invention the squeeze strips 20 may also be cut in from the point 31 to the point Il sufficiently to receive the body 3l of the bearing washer so that the outer face 3l of the bearing washer is flush with the surface II of the squeeze strips 2l, if desired.

'I'he bearing washers 28 leavethe major portion of the squeeze strips 26 exposed to be used as a nailing strip, and thus the inner wooden lining or sheathing I'I of the car may be nailed to the strips 28. Y

The wooden-lining I1 and the external steel sheets il, I2 provide a housing for the insulation 22, 23, and are adapted to maintain it in dry and efficient condition. 'Ihe steel sheets Il, I2 are preferably coated on the inside with a layer Il of asphaltum and, if desired, water-proofing may also be employed between the nailing strips and the lining I'I.

Referring to Fig. 4, this is a modiiication in which the structural steel member 40 is of substantially U shape, the bolt I9 being secured to the web 4I, which is can'ied by a pair of side flanges I2, and secured to the steel plate IlA by foot flanges u, and suitable rivets or welding. Y

The bearing washers 28 are adapted to provide a depression for housing the nut 29 and end of bolt I! so that these members may cup below the surface of the squeeze strip 26, and the bearing washers also confine the squeeze strip at its lateral edges so that splitting of the strip is prevented.

'lhe squeeze strips are adapted to secure the layers of insulation to the bolts i9, which are secured to the car wall in such manner that the insulation is spaced from the car wall and adapted to be held in proper position so that it Will have the greatest heat insulating value.

'Ihepresent refrigerator car construction is light and strong, yet the wall has a high insula ti'on value and is adapted to perform its functions very efllciently.

While -I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a sheet metal exterior wall with a structural frame member having a pair of attaching ilanges extending substantially parallel to said exterior wall, one of said attaching flanges being secured to said exterior wall, and the other being located in spaced relation thereto, said latter attaching fiange being'provided with a plurality of apertures, securing members located in said apertures and projecting into said car, refrigerator car insulating material having perforations for said securing members and mounted on said securing members in engagement with said latter attaching flange, a squeeze strip of lumber engaging said insulation and clamping it between said squeeze strip and said latter attaching ilange, said squeeze strip being provided with a plurality of apertures registering with the apertures in said latter attaching flange and having sockets surrounding the securing members on the inside of the car, and a cup-shaped metallic member having an aperture for receiving a securing member, and having a socket to seat in a socket of said squeeze strip and for receiving a threaded member on said securing' member, said cup-shaped member having laterally extending and outwardly extending flanges embracing the inner portion of said squeeze strip and the inner corner portions of said squeeze strip whereby splitting is prevented and the wooden strip is reinforced.

2. In a refrigerator'car, the combination of a sheet metal exterior wall with a structural frame member having a pair of attaching flanges extending substantially parallel to said exterior wall, one of said attaching flanges being secured to said exterior wall, and the other being located in spaced relation thereto, said latter attaching flange being provided with a plurality of apertures, securing members located in said apertures and projecting into said car, refrigerator car insulating material having perforations for said securing members and mounted on said securingmembers in engagement with said latter attaching ange, a squeeze strip of lumber engaging said insulation and clamping it between said squeeze strip and said latter attaching flange, said squeeze strip being provided with a plurality of apertures registering with the apertures in said latter attaching flange and having sockets surrounding the securing members on the inside of the car, and a cup-shaped metallic member having an aperture for receiving a securing member, and having a socket for receiving a threaded member on said securing means, said cup-shaped member having laterally extending and outwardly extending flanges embracing the inner portion of said squeeze strip and the inner corner portions of said squeeze strip whereby splitting is prevented and the wooden strip is reinforced, and a layer of sheathing carried by said squeeze strip, said strip acting as a nailing strip.

3. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a sheet metal exterior wall with a structural ,frame member having a pair of attaching flanges extending substantially parallel to said exterior wall, one of said attaching iianges being secured to said exterior wall, and the other being located in spaced relation thereto, said latter attaching flange being provided with a plurality of apertures, securing members located in said apertures and projecting into said car, refrigerator car insulating material having perforations for said securing members and mounted on said securing members in engagement with said latter attaching flange, a squeeze strip of lumber mounted on said securing members and engaging said insulation and clamping it between said squeeze strip and said latter attaching flange, said squeeze strip being provided with a plurality of apertures registering with the apertures in said latter attaching ange and having sockets surrounding the securing members on the inside of the car, and a cup-shaped metallic member having an aperture for receiving a securing member, and having a. socket to seat in a socket of said squeeze strip and for receiving a threaded member on said securing means, said cup-shaped member having laterally extending and thence outwardly extending flanges embracing the inner portion of said squeeze strip and the inner corner portions of said squeeze strip whereby splitting l is prevented and the wooden strip is reinforced, said structural member comprising a Z-shaped metal bar, aid said securing members comprising bolts welded to one of the flanges of said bar.

4. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a sheet metal exterior wall with a structural frame member having a pair of attaching flanges extending substantially parallel to said exterior wall, one of said attaching flanges being secured to said exterior wall, and the other being located in spaced relation thereto, said latter attaching ange being provided with a pluralityof apertures, securing members located in said apertures and projecting into said car, refrigerator car insulating material having perforations for said securing `member and mounted on said securing member in engagement with said latter attaching flange, a squeeze strip of lumber engaging said insulation and clampingI it between sai'd squeeze strip and said latter attaching ange, said squeeze strip being' provided with a plurality of apertures registering with the apertures in said latter attaching ilange and having sockets surrounding the securing members onY the inside of the cai-and a cup-shaped metallic member having an aperture for receiving a securing member, and having a socket to seat in a socket of said squeeze strip and for receiving a threaded member on said securing means, said cup-shaped member having laterally extending and outwardly extending anges embracing the inner portion of said squeeze strip and the inner corner portions oi' said squeeze strip whereby splitting is prevented and the wooden strip is reinforced, said structural member comprising a channeled member provided with laterally prov jecting flanges, and said securing means comprlsing a plurality of bolts welded to the yoke of said channeled member.

JOHN S. LUNDVALL. 

